Body of missing Brazilian found in S.F. Bay

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The case of a Brazilian man who went missing in San Francisco this fall got an unfortunate break Friday when authorities said they had matched his identity to a body found in the bay.

Paulo Netto went missing in San Francisco in October.

Paulo Netto, whose family said he was 23, had been living in Los Angeles. He was spending a weekend in San Francisco in October visiting art schools when his sister in Rio Verde, Brazil received a phone call from Netto, saying he was being followed and needed help. That strange call, on Oct. 28, was the last time anyone heard from Netto.

His sister, Ana Reis, and their mother promptly flew to San Francisco to search for Netto. They said he was a normal guy, not prone to getting in trouble. They put up posters in the Tenderloin and Mission neighborhoods where Netto had visited and got word out with local media, hoping someone would come forward with his whereabouts. But with no luck.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner said Friday that a body found Nov. 9 in McCovey Cove is Netto’s. The cause and manner of death have not been determined, and Officer Albie Esparza said the case remains under investigation.